Chapter 1
The stone slowly rolled away, as the two men shoved it aside. This was it; they had finally uncovered the location of The Chamber, the place they had been searching for ever since they had discovered the ancient map. The stone rolled away, spiraling down the rocky hill and into the forest of dead trees below. The first man to enter was of slight build, with quick eyes that were almost like that of a lynx. This shady man held the map in one hand and a torch in the other. The second man was very large; his massive arms and legs gave him a strong resemblance to an ox. His shaggy beard stretched to the top of his chest, ragged and grisly from years of living on the edge. The small man descended into the cave, reading the map as he went. "We're almost there, Runolf. After all these years we've finally uncovered The Chamber" said the sly man. The big man took in a deep breath, savoring the victory "Yes. It's about time. I was starting to lose my patience".
The fire illuminated the cave. Hieroglyphs of an ancient time lined the walls of the cave, their markings shading it like words on a book. The long "hallway" steadily stooped deeper and deeper into the depths of the cave. As they made their way into the depths of this mysterious abyss, they began to notice that the hieroglyphs turned to drawings. "Look at these drawings" the bigger man said. The small man studied the drawings with great intent, deciphering them, becoming a part of them. "Ah, the legend of the Behemoth. A fabled dragon that was said to consume entire villages in one gulp" said the smaller man. Runolf nudged the slight man with his large hand "Let's get a move on. This place is starting to give me the creeps".
They crossed a cold stream. The water rose up from a spring located somewhere in the cave. The cool water massaged their tired legs. "Fresh water. Been a while since I had some of that" Runolf said. The other man studied the map, an excited expression on his face. "The stream! We're nearly there, Runolf!"
"How much farther?"
"Seventy paces straight ahead"
They took their paces, searching for a sign. "It's a dead end" Runolf said with a displeased tone. The sly man held the torch to wall, examining its surface for a glimpse of hope. "Ah, I almost forgot" said the small man as he pulled a sabre from a sheath on his right leg. "Remember all those dragons we had to kill, all those parts we salvaged? This is the key to unlocking the chamber"
He placed the sabre against the wall, letting it set for a few seconds. When it was removed, the stone wall split, revealing another passageway. "Onward. The treasures await" said the thin man. The sound of a waterfall could be heard down the path. As they approached, the sound intensified. Soon they found what they had been searching for: The Chamber. A deep pool surrounded a pedistal, which set in the center. Light showered in from above; gaps in the stone allowed it to penetrate into The Chamber. A small bridge of stone led to the pedistal. On the pedistal rested a chest. The artifact was painted with the hieroglyphs and drawings the two had previously encountered. There was a sort of ominous feeling that surrounded the chest like a sphere.
"This is it!" exclaimed Runolf, throwing his large arms into the air in a gesture of excitement. "After all these years, we finally found it!"
"Yes, our hard work has finally paid off, my friend"
Runolf tensed up, his eyes widening in fear as the reality of his situation befell him. A cold feeling ran down his spine and a sense of immobilization set in. "You..." Runolf gasped for breath. The sabre cut deep into his spain, piercing his vitals. Blood poured from his back and soon he was drenched in it. "I'm sorry, Runolf, but I have no further need of you" said the man with an ominous smirk on his face. "I do thank you for your assistance. Thank you for doing all the dirty work over the years, you repugnant fool" The blade was jerked from Runolf's back and the beast of a man fell into the cool water below. He slowly sank, flailing his arms in his last breaths of life.
"To the victor go the spoils". The sly man glided over to the chest, his lynx-like eyes flickering in the firelight. He had done it. After all the years of hard work, he would finally claim his prize. He studied the chest and realized one fatal flaw: he was missing a piece of the key. "The scale..." he peered into the water as he said it. "Worthless grunt!". The little man realized that the most valuable piece of the key had been stolen by the man he had just murdered – Ranolf. His plans would be set back now, until he could find the missing piece. "Only a minor setback. I will scour the earth to my last breath to find the last piece. I will find another Night Fury tooth, and I will claim my fortune"